Shuriken Sentai Ninninger
is the thirty-ninth entry of the Super Sentai series, following Ressha Sentai ToQger. It premiered on Sunday, February 22, 2015, joining , and later, in the Super Hero Time line-up on TV Asahi affiliate stations. It is the third Super Sentai series with a ninja theme, marking 13 years since 2002's Ninpu Sentai Hurricaneger and 21 years since 1994's Ninja Sentai Kakuranger to use the motif. Ninninger also serves as the 40th anniversary of the franchise. |date=December 26, 2014|accessdate=December 26, 2014}} |date=December 26, 2014|accessdate=December 26, 2014}} The lead screenwriter for the series is Kento Shimoyama and Kosuke Yamashita serves as the series' composer. The cast were introduced to the public at a special event at on January 24 and 25, 2015. Production TV Asahi producer Chihiro Inoue brought up three ideas at the show's premiere conference. First was that they will continue to make Super Sentai fun and entertaining for children by keeping the same colorful action scenes, but they will use traditional Japanese musical themes such as those found in festival music. The second point was a desire to raise the agelessness of the series by including Toshihiro Yashiba and Takashi Sasano in the cast so adults and grandparents can enjoy the show with their children and grandchildren. The third point is that the supporting staff are all enthusiastic about the series. Inoue also wanted fans new and old to watch for the April 5, 2015 broadcast of the show (which has since been pushed back to April 12 due to Ninninger's premiere being pushed back a week) as he planned a special homage to Himitsu Sentai Gorenger, which premiered on April 5, 1975. The My Navi News reporter noted similarities between Gorenger and Ninninger, particularly how the Ninninger team members are named with Japanese color names rather than English. He also noted the prior ninja-themed Super Sentai Ninja Sentai Kakuranger and Ninpu Sentai Hurricaneger, but felt that the story of Ninninger would be different. Toei Company producer Naomi Takebe brought up the show's catchphrase being , explaining that they would be focusing on actual acrobatic ability in action scenes rather than relying on effects like wire work. She also brought up the nature of the series' robot, which has what initially appears to be a lack of unifying theme in its components: a humanoid robot, a dragon, a dump truck, a dog, and a train. She said that the Super Sentai series had long been keeping with these motifs in the robots, but the series' special effects director Hiroshi Butsuda had grown bored of these themes and felt the show would benefit from picking major themes from the franchise's past. Takebe also said that she hoped that the multiple components of the robot would be in line with the tenets of : the humanoid robot represents budō, the dog emphasizes "kawaii", the truck and train represent Japanese technology while the dragon, which is a , shows the influence on Japanese culture from abroad. Plot Centuries ago, the ruthless feudal warlord Gengetsu Kibaoni was slain by the Igasaki Ninja clan, before discarding his humanity to become a Youkai. In his first attempt to rise again, Kibaoni was defeated and sealed by Yoshitaka Igasaki, a man known as the Last Ninja, but three generations later, Kibaoni is unsealed by his retainer Kyuemon Izayoi. As only members of Igasaki bloodline can stop the rampaging Yokai, Yoshitaka's son Tsumuji Igasaki assembles the Ninningers, composed of his children Takaharu and Fuuka and cousins Yakumo Katou, Nagi Matsuo, and Kasumi Momochi, to master their clan's and fight the Kibaoni Army Corps, later joined by Kinji Takigawa, a Youkai hunter from the United States who becomes Yoshitaka's disciple after earning his trust. Also, according to their grandfather, one among them will be chosen to inherit the title of Last Ninja, and become the guardian of the Igasaki family's ultimate treasure, the "End Shuriken", which is also coveted by the Kibaoni Corps in their plan to revive their master. Characters Ninningers Allies * Yoshitaka Igasaki * Tsumuji Igasaki * Shishi-Oh * Tetsunosuke Saika XXI * Tetsunosuke Saika XXII * Tatsunosuke Hakkaku * Kikyo Kousaka * Kiroku Ise * Kana * Mariko * Harukaze Katou * SILVER Other Allies * ** ** ** ** ** *Returning Rangers *Ressha Sentai ToQger Kamen Riders Metal Heroes Villains Kibaoni Army Corps * Gengetsu Kibaoni * Raizo Gabi * Kyuemon Izayoi * Masakage Tsugomori * Ariake no Kata * Hitokarage * Jukkarage * Yokai Izayoi Way Ninja Army Corps * Kyuemon Izayoi * Genin Supparage * Dark Ninja Other Villains * * Arsenal Transformation Devices * Transformation Ninja Sword Ninja Ichibantou * Transformation Device Ninja StarBurger * Chozetsu Shoubu Changer * Strongest Nintou Ninja Gekiatsuto Multi-Use Devices * Nin Shuriken Individual Weapons and Team Weapons * Midan Ningeki Karakuri Hengen ** Karakuri Hengen Sword ** Karakuri Hengen Bow ** Karakuri Hengen Claw * Star Sword-Gun Sidearms *Kaiguchi Ninpou Gama Gama Guns Mecha Main :Legend: piloted mecha, 2-person mecha, auxiliary mecha *Ha-Oh Shuriken Gattai Ha-Oh Shurikenjin **King Shuriken Gattai King Shurikenjin ***Shuriken Gattai Shurikenjin ****OtomoNin Shinobimaru ****OtomoNin Dragomaru ****OtomoNin Dumpmaru ****OtomoNin Wanmaru ****OtomoNin Byunmaru ***Bison Change BisonKing ****OtomoNin Rodeomaru ****OtomoNin Bison King Buggy **Sky OtomoNin Lion Ha-Ojo / Lion Change Lion Ha-Oh * Gekiatsu Shuriken Gattai Gekiatsu Dai-Oh **OtomoNin Hououmaru **OtomoNin Seiryuumaru **OtomoNin Genbumaru **OtomoNin Byakkomaru **OtomoNin Pandamaru **OtomoNin Magoimaru Auxiliary *OtomoNin Paonmaru *OtomoNin UFOmaru * *OtomoNin Surfermaru *OtomoNin Dinomaru Alternate Combinations *Shurikenjin Drago *Shurikenjin Paon *Shurikenjin UFO *Shurikenjin Tridoron *Shurikenjin Surfer *BisonKing Surfer *Shurikenjin Dino *BisonKing Drago *Shurikenjin Texas *Ha-Oh Gekiatsu Dai-Oh Episodes Cast * : * : * : * : * : * : * : * : * , : * : * : * : * : * : *Narration, Ninninger Equipment Voice: * : Guest cast * : * : * : *SILVER (25): SHIN (of CROSS GENE) * : * |山地 闘破|Yamaji Tōha|34}}: *Tourist (34): Yoshi Sudarso * : * : Songs ;Opening theme * **Lyrics: **Composition & Arrangement: **Artist: ;Ending theme * **Lyrics & Composition: **Arrangement: Funta 7 **Artist: ;Insert theme * **Lyrics: Hideaki Takatori **Composition: Kosuke Yamashita **Arrangement: Hiromasa Kagoshima **Artist: Hideaki Takatori, Sakura Miyajima * **Lyrics: Mike Sugiyama **Composition: Tsubasa Ito **Arrangement: Tsubasa Ito **Artist: Showgo Kamada * **Lyrics: **Composition: **Arrangement: **Artist: Yukio Yamagata * **Lyrics: Nagae Kuwabara **Composition: Akira Sato **Arrangement: Akira Sato **Artist: Yohei Onishi Notes *While this Sentai is the 39th entry in the series, Shinobi 6 aired on the 40th anniversary of Himitsu Sentai Gorenger on April 5, 2015. **Originally, it was supposed to be the 7th episode to air on that date. **The original scheduled premiere date was February 15, but it ended up delayed by a week to to the last minute pre-emption of ToQger Station 46: The Final Destination due to breaking news coverage of Japanese journalist Kenji Goto's murder by ISIL militants. *This is the first season since Hyakujuu Sentai Gaoranger where the three main colors (Red, Blue and Yellow) are all male. *This is also the first season since Tokumei Sentai Go-Busters to not include a Black or Green Ranger as part of the core team of Rangers **Additionally, this is the first season since Mahou Sentai Magiranger to feature a male Yellow Ranger and a female White Ranger. **And, this is the first season since Dengeki Sentai Changeman to have both a female Pink Ranger and a female White Ranger in the core team. * This is the first Super Sentai series to feature an actor from the Power Rangers franchise as Yoshi Sudarso, Koda of Power Rangers Dino Charge made a cameo appearance in episode 34 as a civillian attacked by the Kibaoni Army Corps under Ariake no Kata. References External links *Toei website *TV Asahi website *Ninninger at Super-Sentai.net *Official Twitter account *Official Facebook account